I'm glad to help, just as you've helped me in the past. Give some thought to doing a guest blog on my site with regard to the uniforms of the Fourth Michigan Infantry.
Some of the Militia companies that joined the 4th Michigan Infantry Regiment wore uniform prior to the War. For Example:
The
Tecumseh Volunteers a.k.a. Tecumseh Light Infantry later know as Tecumseh Union Cadets (Tecumseh, Lenawee County) were formed under Captain David D. Marshal at the start of the war. For a short time in 1861 they wore uniforms provided by the citizens of Tecumseh. The uniforms were blue jackets, red pants and red caps.
i This was a Zouave type uniform.
ii "While here the citizens took good care of us and furnished us a very neat uniform which consisted of a red cap, blue jacket, and red pants, so that with clean faces and blacken shoes we made a very good appearance."
iii The
Old 4th Michigan Infantry web site says wore dark-blue coats with red hats and red pants but they were spared the baggy pants worn by Zouaves. Besides uniforms the city also provided each man with a pistol. The
Adrian Daily Expounder tells us they wore blue and scarlet uniforms.
iv
The men probably wore these uniforms to Fort Wayne when they joined the 4
th Michigan as Company G. They would have soon received state issued gray uniforms.
i Harrison Daniels Diary, reprinted on the 4
th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment web site.
ii "The War Feeling',
Adrian Daily Expositor, May 4 1861, p.1, col.1.
iii Harrison Daniels Diary, reprinted on the 4
th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment web site.
iv "The War Feeling",
Adrian Daily Expounder, May 28 1861, p.1, col.2-3.
The
Hudson Zouave Cadets a. k. a. The
Hudson Cadets (Hudson, Lenawee County) were formed in May 1861. This company consisted of boys twelve to sixteen years old.
i Captain James Beach was said to be the company commander. Other reports give Stephen Johnson as the captain. It is possible that Captain Beach was the adult in charge and Johnson the juvenile Company Commander. The short-lived Hudson Zouave Cadets functioned as a type of home guard company. The Hudson Zouave Cadets drilled regular and became quite proficient at Ellsworth's Zouave's drill.
For uniforms they wore red pants and blue shirts with red Zouave caps. They ordered caps from J. & A. Herzog, 152 Lake, Chicago Illinois and these arrived in April of 1861.
ii Some newspaper reports tell use they had full uniforms and made a 'handsome' appearance, but the exact nature of the uniforms worn in this parade is not recorded and it is unclear if they ever obtained jackets. The local ladies presented them with their own flag. They were never able to obtain muskets and drilled with sticks. They intended to defend the peninsula state with shotguns, pistols, hunting knives and hatchets.
iii
The Hudson Zouave Cadets had a small four-piece band who could play but one song. A photograph of 16 year-old Albert H. Boies, who played the fife in this band, shows him in uniform, but it is unclear if he was wearing his Zouave Cadet uniform or a later uniform.
iv Boies soon joined the 4
th Regiment and this photograph may show a musician uniform he wore with that regiment. This photograph shows Boies from the chest up. This Boies photograph could be from his service as a musician in the 4
th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment. This Boies photograph could be from his service as a musician in the 4
th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He wears a light gray? jacket with 3 rows of dark buttons the total number of button cannot be determined in the photograph. The jacket has thin vertical dark braid that ends in trefoils. The jacket collar is dark with a gilt button set well back. The collar has a light stripe at the base. The chasseur style kepi is dark with a light welt. It is possible that the kepi has braid on the front and sides.
v Interest soon faded and the Cadets disbanded. Many of the older boys found regiments they could join. The 11
th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment and the Chicago Zouaves (probably the Douglas Brigade) were units that received some former Hudson Zouave Cadets.
i Hudson Zouave Cadets,
Hudson Gazette, May 18 1861, p. 3, col.1.
ii "New Caps",
Hudson Gazette, August 10 1861, p. 3, col. 1.
iiiBoise Albert H., "War Memories",
Adrian Daily Times and Expositor, March 20 1886, p.4, col. 3.
iv The band apparently had but four members and the band was probably part of the "cadets" and not a
separate entity. The 'cadet' musicians may have worn a distinctive uniform.
v Albert H. Boies age is not given in the records but he could not have joined the 4
th Regiment at age 16,
the Zouave Cadets allowed 16 year-olds to join. He had an interesting service record. He was left for dead at the Battle of Marvin Hill, shot and captured at Gettysburg only to escape, and then serving in the Spanish American War and World War One as a recruiting officer.
There is information about the uniforms worn by other militia companies which help form the 4th Michigan Infantry.
Forum Host
Bringing the